Safety-harness for vicious horses



(No Model.)

' R. M. REID.

- SAFETY HARNESS FOR VIGIOUS HORSES.

No. 408.436. Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

A A TTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, Pholo-Ulhogmplmr, Washinglnn. D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @nnrcn.

ROBERT M. REID, OF ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

SAFETY-HARN ESS FOR VICIOUS HORSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,436, dated August 6, 1889.

Application filed January 3, 1889. Serial No. 295,292. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT M. REID, of Ann Arbor, in the .county of WVashtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Safety-Harness for Vicious Horses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact'description.

The invention relates to harness for animals; and its object is to provide a new and improved attachment specially designed for single harness, and serving for the subjection of vicious horses and for the breaking of colts to work in harness.

The invention consists of a rod provided at each end with a T,'a-nd adapted to pass l, through the harness back-strap and over the rump of the horse, straps each hooked by one end onto a T on the said rod, and clips secured to each shaft-arm, and connected with the other ends of the said straps.

The invention also consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the improvement as applied, the shafts and the backstrap of the harness beingin section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of one end of the rod and adjacent parts. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the clip. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the same, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the clip-nut.

The improved attachment is provided with a rod A, bent to pass over the rump of the horse on which the attachment is to be applied. Each end of the rodAis slightly bent outward and formed into a T B, as is plainly shown in Figs.'2 and 3. On each T B hooks the end 0' of a link 0, provided with the lat erally-extending part 0 as is plainly shown in Fig. 3. Into-the part C of the link O is secured one end of a strap D, provided with a buckle E for lengthening and shortening the strap, which latter is connected at its lower end with the horizontally-extending part F of a link F, having the downwardly-extendin g shaft F secured on the link F in its middle,

and carrying on the lower end a cross-piece parallel with the part F.

The cross-piece F is adapted to pass into the vertical U-shaped bars G, fastened by their ends to the side plate G of the clip H,

also provided with a bottom plate G resting on the under side of one of the shafts .I. On the upper end of the side G of the clip II is secured a metallic band G adapted to pass over the shaft, and formed at its lower end into a threaded bolt G which passes through a transverse slot G formed in the bottom plate G of the clip G.

On the bolt Gr screws a nut I, provided with grooves 1', fitting onto corresponding ridges G6 on the under side of the bottom plate G The band G3 is made to fit any sized shaft J, as the bolt G can be moved in the slot G and then secured in any desired place by the nut I, the grooves I of which engage the corresponding ridges G in the under side of the bottom plate G The rod A is preferably covered with leather K, which is split near the lower end of the rod, as is plainly illustrated in Fig. 2. The front end K is preferably notched, and hangs over the T end B and the link 0, so as to line the same. The inner part K of the leather covering K buckles in the usual manner to the rear band L of the breeching. The leather-covered rod A also passes through the back-strap N of the harness, as is plainly illustrated in Fig. 1, and serves, besides other purposes, to replace the usual rumpstrap of the breeching.

The link F, with its crossbar F is so arranged as to be attached to or detached from the bars G of the clip H, and the link C can also be easily detached from or attached to the T B of the rod A. The clip H is fastened to the shaft J by the bar G and the side plate G, extending on the inside of the shaft, as is plainly shown in Fig. l.

WVhen the harness is placed on the horse, the rod A is in place with the straps D hooked by their links 0 to the T ends B of the rod A. The operator then hooks the links F by their cross-bars F onto the bars G of the clips H, the straps D having been previously adjusted to the desired place, according to the size of the horse. Now, it will be seen that the animal is prevented from kicking,

ICO

as any upward motion of the hind feet would necessitate the lifting of the shafts J and part of the vehicle, which, naturally, is too heavy a load, and consequently the animal is prevented from kicking.

It will be seen that the rod A and its parts, connecting it to the shafts J, are made very strong, so that the horse, even by exerting considerable strength, cannot break the same,

as it would the ordinary strap.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A harness attachment comprising, a metallic rod provided on each end with a T, links adapted to be hooked onto the T ends of the said rod, straps connected with the said links and adapted to be secured to the shafts, substantially as shown and described.

2. A harness attachment comprising a metallic rod provided 011 each end with a T, links adapted-t0 be hooked on the T ends of the said rod, adjustable straps connected with the said links and each carrying a second link, and a clip secured to each shaft and onto which is hooked the said second link, substantially as shown and described.

A harness attachment comprising a metallic rod provided on each end with a T, links adapted to be hooked on the T ends of the said rod, adjustable straps connected with the said links and each carrying a second link, a clip secured to each shaft and provided with parallel vertical rods adapted to be engaged by a T formed on the said second link, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a safety-harness, the combination of a metallic rod adapted to pass through the back-strap of the harness and provided on each end with aT, a leather covering formed 011 the said rod and split on each end to form straps adapted to be connected with the back band of the breeching, links adapted to be hooked onto the said T ends of the rod, adjustable straps carrying the said links, a second link secured on each of the said straps, and clips secured to the shafts and onto which hook the said second links, substantially as shown and described.

ROBERT M. REID.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN M. HENDERSON, DAVID M. ALSPAUGH. 

